Do I Need to File a Tax Return?

Even if you don’t have to file, here are six reasons why you may want to:

1. Federal Income Tax Withheld
You should file to get money back if your employer withheld federal income tax from your pay, you made estimated tax payments, or had a prior year overpayment applied to this year’s tax.

2. Earned Income Tax Credit
You may qualify for EITC if you worked, but did not earn a lot of money. EITC is a refundable tax credit; which means you could qualify for atax refund. To get the credit you must file a return and claim it.

3. Additional Child Tax Credit
This refundable credit may be available if you have at least one qualifying child and you did not get the full amount of the Child Tax Credit.

4. American Opportunity Credit Students
in their first four years of postsecondary education may qualify for as much as $2,500 through this credit. Forty percent of the credit is refundable so even those who owe no tax can get up to $1,000 of the credit as cash back for each eligible student.

5. Adoption Credit
You may be able to claim a refundable tax credit for qualified expenses you paid to adopt an eligible child.